PAT testing

PAT testing is 20p to 30p per item

What is PAT the acronym of?

PAT testing or portable appliance testing is an very important part of any company health & safety policy. This page is intended as a guide only to both the technical requirements and the legal implications of PAT Testing.

Which items are tested in school?

Kettles, printers, computers or anything with a plug. That may be in science, ICT or tech.

What two things are tested for?

Insulation and earth continuity. It is important to test for these as; if they do not pass someone could be at risk.

Give two reasons why it is important to test for these things

So that they don’t catch fire I don’t electrocuted people.

How often are PAT tests carried out? Which law says this?

The frequency of inspection and testing depends upon the type of equipment and the environment it is used in. For example, a power tool used on a construction site should be examined more frequently than a lamp in a hotel bedroom.

How records are kept that appliances have been tested, and whether they have failed or not?

There are stickers stuck on the appliances stating if they have passed or not. There are also spread sheets but these don’t have to be done.

Find pictures of PAT testing labels – showing a pass and a fail.

What are the employers’ obligations under the Health & Safety Act of 1992?  Write a little bit about each.

These will help Office workers not get any sight problems and it will help them sit up straight and not get back problems.

Understanding URLs

Understanding URLs
The URL is an acronym that stands for Uniform Resource Location. It represents an address of a document available on the World Wide Web (WWW). Although a URL of your favorite website may look long and complex, it simply consists of four basic parts:
1. protocol
2. hostname
3. folder name (also referred to as directory), and
4. file name
Each of these four parts have a specific purpose. Read below for more. See figure 1 that shows the anatomy of a URL.

Figure 1 showing four basic parts of a URL: protocol, hostname, folder name, and file name
Protocol
You probably have heard of the protocols such as http, ftp, telnet, and so on. But you may have wondered what all these protocols are about? A protocol can be defined as a computer language that allows computers to transfer information. More specifically, a protocol tells the browser how to negotiate resource-specific services. For example, the web browser uses the http (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) to contact the web server and retrieve the appropriate content. Similarly, a FTP client uses the FTP (File Transfer Protocol) to send and receive files to and from a server.
The most commonly used protocol is http. As you may have realized, it is used in links to indicate where a specific document is located on WWW. It is also used to retrieve document from the WWW. Given the exponential growth of web documents and web sites in a short period of time, http has become one of the popular protocols in use today.
Although less frequently used than http, ftp and other protocols are also often invoked by hyperlinks. See table 1 for some of the common protocols that can be used in links.
Table 1 commonly used protocols
Protocol Protocol indicator Description
ftp ftp:// allows downloading of files from a remote FTP server
file file:// Allows accessing of files from local hard drive
gopher gopher:// Allows access to documents located on a gopher server
http http:// allows access to documents located on the web
mailto mailto: although it is not a standard, most browsers supports it to open user's email client
news news: this protocol is used to connect to USENET newsgroup
telnet telnet:// This protocol allows a telnet session to a telnet host
As the table indicates above, if you wanted to make link to a local document, you would use the file:// protocol indicator. The use of the file:// protocol indicator will instruct the web browser that the file is on the local machine. Similarly, if you want to link to a file on a FTP server, you would use the ftp:// protocol to instruct the ftp client to access a FTP server.
Hostname
A hostname is the name of a server that holds web related documents. Each web server has a specific address (specifically, IP address). Examples of hostname include www.google.com, www.yahoo.com, and www.scriptingmaster.com. Each of these has a specific IP address 72.14.215.104, 209.191.93.52, and 64.40.96.247, respectively. It is not surprising that IP addresses are more difficult to remember than hostnames. Do you access Google.com or your favorite website by its IP address? Chances are you access websites by their hostname rather than an IP address. When creating a link, a host name is used rather than IP address. When a hostname used to access a website, it is automatically routed to the corresponding IP address.
Folder name
A folder name is the chunk of information that follows a hostname. A URL may contain zero, one, or more folder names. A URL directory is a folder name in the URL. In the URL www.google.com/aboutus/goog.htm, aboutus is the folder or URL directory name.
This page provides more information on folder names to help you with constructing links in XHTML.
File name
For the proper functioning of a URL, it requires a valid file name. Not only file name indicates what item you want to access from the server but also instructs the server how to handle a specific file. For instance, an ASP type file would require execution on the server while a .JPEG or HTML file can be sent to the client without having any processing take place on the server.

qr codes

1.       QR stands for Quick response code. They are a machine-readable code consisting of an array of black and white squares, typically used for storing URLs or other information for reading by the camera on a smart phone.

2.       QR codes were first used in Japan. They were used in the car industry to help customers remember details of vehicles when they have viewed at them on the forecourt.

3.       Or codes can be linked to SMS messages webpage’s, lists, pictures and advertisement.

4.       QR codes can link to different things such as Adding QR codes to your business cards, Include QR codes in your print advertising; create a campaign to increase your social following, Add QR codes to your product packaging, and Use QR codes for company or customer-facing events.

5.       All you need to read a QR code is a smart phone! But it has to have a camera and you have to download a app to read QR codes.

6.      

	This QR code will take you to http:apod.nasa.gov/

7.                                                                                                                   

I went on a online bar code reader called      http://www.onlinebarcodereader.com/ and I opened a image in to the box it then gave me a web address for the QR code   http://b.snappr.net/kus4y

                                 

8.      

I linked my QR code to New look so if you scan it in on a smart phone it will take you to the new look website.

I created my own QR code.

            Advantage of QR codes

There is no need to write vital details down. A simple scan captures the desired information.

QR Codes can be used to store addresses and URLs that can appear in magazines, on signs, buses, business cards or just about any product that users might need information about.

Disadvantages of QR codes

Users must be equipped with a camera phone and the correct reader software that can scan the image of the QR Code. Currently only Smartphone’s are technically equipped to do this. Many users that have mobile phones that have cameras are unable to get QR reading software for their phones

ubiquitous_computing_exam_question

What does the acronym RFID stand for?

What is it used for? (6 marks)

                                        

1) The acronym RFID stands for radio frequency identification device. Radio Frequency Identification is ranked among the top 10 of dominant future technologies

2&3) It is used for Ubiquitous computing which is advanced computing concept where computing is made to appear everywhere and anywhere. Ubiquitous computing can be used in any device. It can be used anywhere and everywhere.

4) RFID works by digital data encoded in RFID tags or smart labels are captured by a reader via radio waves. RFID is similar to bar-coding in that data from a tag or label are captured by a device that stores the data in a database. Data collected from tags is then passed through communication interfaces (cab be cable or wireless) to host computer systems in the same manner that data scanned from bar code labels is captured and passed to computer systems for interpretation, storage, and action.

5) RFID tags come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes:

Animal tracking tags, inserted beneath the skin, can be rice-sized. Or a cat flap. This works by a chip being on the cat’s collar and the cat flap only lets the cat through with this chip. It doesn’t let any other cats through. A car manufacturer wants to find out more about when and where the seat it has ordered for your car was assembled. Thanks to RFID, the company could simply confirm safety information deposited in a database by the manufacturer of the seat.

6) Credit-card shaped for use in access applications.

In the future they could be used for Home. It could replace keys with cards, automatic I.d related functions, energy-saving and more personal, tag activating behaviours (e.g. turn lights on, turn gadgets on or off).  Developments in RFID technology continue to yield larger memory capacities, wider Reading ranges, and faster processing.

Here are some other ways they might be used in the future;

• Real-time parking spaces indicators (vehicular services).
• Self-check in at Libraries / rental services (minimizing labor costs). Self-service tills and points will also advance.
• Building Security - secure access controls, documentation and passports.
• Airports - for baggage (and maybe traveler) tracking and tracing/locating. RFID could also be used by Airlines for their own assets, as well as customers.
• Environmental - Energy, Ozone & Pollution measuring equipment.
• SMART home controls - systems to manage home/business energy consumption/production – smart cards could activate energy sources. Smart Home Controls could advance in to more areas of consumption.
• Toll/road – collection/charging and control measures. Many more RFID based payment collection systems.
• Vehicles - Tyre Pressure, Engine and Fuel related & Exhaust monitoring measures (e.g. carbon footprint measures).

Starting to use the internet

Starting to use the internet

To connect to the Internet the following are needed:

·         a computer

·         telephone line (cable being the exception)

·         modem and/or router

·         an ISP (ISPs provide access to the Internet)

·         Web browser, eg Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera etc.(Web browsers have several uses:

·          forward and back buttons to move between pages, a history folder which stores details of recently visited web pages, a stop button if a page is taking too long to load, favourites and bookmark options to store often visited pages)

ISPs provide access to the Internet. ISP stands for Internet service provider. Commonly used ISPs include Sky, Virgin and BT but there are many more. Most offer the same basic package of Internet access, email addresses and web space.

Service Area
Most urban areas have high-speed options such as cable or fibre optic options available. Rural areas usually have a few dial-up or DSL choices

Connection Speed
Most home internet services tout fast speeds, or report speeds in multiples of standard dial-up speed or even in potential kilobits per second (Kbps) or megabits per second (Mbps).

Additional Features
This criterion is not as crucial as it was five or 10 years ago. Most people are now comfortable with free web mail options such as Gmail or Yahoo and do not need additional email accounts offered by their service provider.

Help & Support
Fast, helpful, knowledgeable support is critical. We looked for services that provide numerous avenues of contact such as by telephone, email and chat. Services that rely on physical components such as cables and modems should also provide responsive, local on-site support.

Upload and downloads speeds are important because a connection made to the Internet will be either analogue or digital.

A dial-up modem converts digital signals from a computer to analogue signals that are then sent down the telephone line. A modem on the other end converts the analogue signal back to a digital signal the computer can understand.

The maximum theoretical connection speed is 56Kbps. Dial-up is very slow by today’s standards and in real world use will typically result in a download speed of roughly 5KBps.

Phone calls cannot be made whilst connected to the Internet.

This is a broadband speed test. You can get free ones online and it tests your speed. Easy and quick to do!

                           As a student he would be using VLEs, word documents, spreadsheets, watching tutorials etc. As he is a student he is very poor so needs a cheap broadband. 

 I think that virgin’s media offer is the best offer for him because it’s very cheap at £4.00 per month. This is f for 18 months. You get unlimited downloads which is good for a student because he will probably want to download a lot. It is also quite fast at 30mb. You get a free wireless router and unlimited call if he wants to call some one at the weekend. This is the best value for money.

What is an email?

What is an email?

An email is a message that has been sent electronically. It transfers data including files pictures etc. There are two main types of email, client-based email and webmail. Client-based email is often used by business users and involves the email being downloaded from a server to an application (such as Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird) on the user’s computer. Webmail is accessed through a web browser and can be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection.

Benefits of using email

There are lots of benefits of using emails here are a few:-

1.       Speed of delivery

2.       Cost. Unlike the conventional mail system, there is no additional cost to standard broadband charges.

3.       Instant delivery on global scale

4.       Delivery to multiple recipients

5.       Attachments (e.g. documents and audio and video files)

6.       Having a record of the correspondence between users

7.       Web provider (including hotmail and gmail)

Bitesize-Emails are delivered extremely fast when compared to traditional post.

Emails can be sent 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Webmail means emails can be sent and received from any computer, anywhere in the world, that has an Internet connection.

Cheap - when using broadband, each email sent is effectively free. Dial-up users are charged at local call rates but it only takes a few seconds (for conventional email, eg text only) to send an email.

Emails can be sent to one person or several people.

Drawbacks

1.       However there are also a lot of drawbacks:-

2.       Privacy and security. People can hack into your emails and read material that should not be available to them. Some of the material may pose a rick to your security .

3.       Internet access. The fact that both sender and recipient have to have email account may cause a problem. You can not assume that everyone has a email account.

4.       Sometimes a lack of interactivity may be a problem.

Bitesize- The recipient needs access to the Internet to receive email.

Viruses are easily spread via email attachments (most email providers scan emails for viruses on your behalf).

Phishing - sending an email to a user falsely claiming to be a legitimate company to scam the user into providing information, such as personal information and bank account numbers on a bogus website. The details will then be used for identity theft.

No guarantee the mail will be read until the user logs on and checks their email.

Spam - unsolicited email, ie junk mail.

How does email work?

1.       Open the email client, e.g. Microsoft Outlook, or if using webmail open a browser and enter the webmail address, e.g. http://www.gmail.com and log in.

2.       Click 'New' or 'Compose'.

3.       Enter the intended recipient email address in the 'To' field.

4.       Write a suitable subject in the 'Subject' field.

5.       Write the message in the space below the Subject field.

6.       Click 'Send' to send the email.

Your email program (the client) then sends the message off to an email server by using the Simple Message Transfer Protocol, or SMTP. The email server is basically a program running on another computer. For most people, the computer is located at your Internet service provider, or ISP.

At the server, the message is dissected and the recipients culled from the message’s To, Cc, and Bcc fields in the header. The SMTP server then finds the host computer for the recipients. For example, if the message is being sent to billg@microsoft.com, the server looks up microsoft.com and sends the message off to that computer.

For a few nanoseconds, the message hops around the Internet as it makes the connection to the destination computer.

At the destination computer, another SMTP server fetches the message and stuffs it into a mailbox for the intended user. There, it sits and waits until the user logs in to collect mail. But the mailbox on the server isn’t the same thing as the inbox in your PC’s mail program.

The recipient’s mail program collects new messages from his ISP’s server. The mail program uses the Post Office Protocol (POP) to fetch the message. POP is used instead of SMTP because the email message is no longer being sent on the Internet; it has arrived. All the POP does is fetch the message waiting on the server and transfer it back to the user’s computer and his email program.

protocol	Acronym	description
Simple mail transfer protocol	SMTP	The internet standard used for sending messages across IP networks in server-to-server transfers
Post office protocol 3	POP3	Used to retrieve emails from and email server over a TCP/IP.
Internet message access protocol	IMAP	Normally users work on the emails as they reside on the email server using IMAP and do not download them.

Webmail and client server

Webmail accounts are usually free.

Email accessed from within a web browser, ie webmail

Users simply sign up to a webmail service such as Googlemail, Hotmail or Yahoo. They are then given a unique user name, password and a personal mailbox. The mailbox is accessed by visiting a specific web address and logging in. Once logged in, users can send and receive messages.

The advantage of webmail is that users can receive and send email from any computer in the world with Internet access and a browser.

Some ISPs will enable their customers to access their mailbox via webmail as well as through the email software on their PC.

Your Internet Service Provider will give you an email account, a password and a mailbox such as yourname@hostname.co.uk.

With a dial-up connection you have to pay the cost of your Internet phone calls (local rate) and in most cases a subscription to your provider (though some are free). Dial-up users can download their emails and read them offline to keep costs down.

A broadband connection is 'always on' with a flat-rate subscription. Very few people pay by the minute nowadays and the majority of people pay a monthly fee for broadband access.

Anti-virus scanning is becoming standard on email accounts and many email providers now offer a spam (electronic junk mail) filtering service.

Trans IP stores in a POP box all e-mail messages that are sent to your e-mail address. You can read, delete, reply, etc. to the messages available in your POP box with webmail.

However, as soon as you allow Outlook to send and receive, Outlook will empty your POP box and will place all e-mail messages in your IN box on your local computer. This means that you will no longer be able to read these e-mail messages with webmail. This is because these e-mail messages will no longer be in your POP box.

Vica versa any web mail you have deleted will also no longer be retrieved by Outlook.

MUA= mail user agent, client apps such as gmail and hotmail.

MTA= Mail transport agent, mail transfer agent or mail relay is software that transfers electronic mail messages from one computer.

MDA= mail delivery agent, A mail delivery agent or message delivery agent is a computer software component that is responsible for the delivery of e-mail messages to a local recipient's mailbox.